


Bloom Pink and Purple

by ProspectPyxis



Category: Puyo Puyo (Video Games)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Aged-Up Character(s), Dissociation, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Slice of Life, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:15:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23997364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProspectPyxis/pseuds/ProspectPyxis
Summary: Raffina couldn’t find love for the life of her.The school years are rapidly coming to an end, and she seriously feels like she’s the only one who hasn’t gotten together with anyone in any way.There was that one time when she was supposed to meet a beautiful prince, but she expected a Prince Charming, not...the pink little guy Salde turned out to be.And besides, she’s not really interested in most boys at school. Sig’s nice, but Amitie already has him, so whatever. Tartar is...Tartar. She’s pretty sure the only person who cares about him is Lidelle, and even then she just sees him as a big brother.The only other boy she knows anything about is Klug, but...shehatesthat guy. He’s stuck up, he’s a jerk, he’s annoying as hell...there’s absolutely no way she’s falling for a nerd like him no matter what!But, well...fate has a funny way of turning things around.
Relationships: Amitie/Sig (Puyo Puyo), Klug/Raffina (Puyo Puyo), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 41





	1. Thoughts - Prologue

Raffina was frustrated. 

The reason? She hasn’t found any love, period. 

It sounds silly, when she actually put it in words, but it’s true. Everyone else in this damn school has had a crush on someone else at some point. Hell, that Tartar guy had feelings for her for a while, but she never reciprocated, and he eventually moved on. But, well...she just never felt anything like that towards anyone she knew. 

To be honest, she did realize her tastes in men (and just men - she did her questioning years ago, and she’s pretty sure she’s straight as a stick) were a little absurd. She wanted a Prince Charming, someone pretty smart, someone who’s strong and could keep up with her in a fight. It sounds idealistic, and it is, but what can you do? 

Unfortunately, none of the boys she knows come close to that. There was that time years back when she was supposed to meet an actual prince, but, again, she expected an almost fairy tale-like charismatic prince, not...the pink, bratty boy Salde turned out to be. And again, barely any of the boys in school would even remotely qualify for her attraction. 

Tartar’s strong, but he’s...a bit too much of a brute. She never really liked him that much - he was a bit obsessive with her back when he had a crush on her. At least she doesn’t have to deal with that anymore. Sig is...actually pretty nice and powerful, despite his spacey nature, but Amitie already has him, so he’s out. She’s happy for those two, at least. And the only other boy she’s even bothered to know anything about is...Klug. 

Klug, Klug, _Klug!_ Ugh, she hated him! Sure, he is able to actually match her when they fought, and he’s basically the most intelligent person she actually knew, but by _god,_ he was a damn jerk! Always belittling her whenever they sparred, and always just...looking down on her! Who does he think he is!? There’s no way she’d ever fall for someone like him! 

Raffina groaned quietly...it was already the last year of school, too. At this point, she’ll probably need to wait until college or something to find a partner. 

Whatever...she’ll just try her best not to let her frustrations overtake her. 

* * *

Klug was...neutral. 

Right now, he was just quietly focused on taking notes on what the teacher was saying. This is basically routine for him - actually, he found it quite fun, trying to compact the teachings into words he can quickly understand and memorize, but others would probably call him weird for it. 

Eh, he didn’t care. 

But...wow. He was surprised that it’s already the last year of school. Honestly, he was incredibly proud of himself for making it this far. His grades have been nothing short of excellent and near-perfect at _worst_ for all the years he’s been in Primp School. He was truly the academic genius, and he couldn’t be happier about where he is! 

But...it really was a strange experience, moving to this school. The first few years were incredibly chaotic...there was that entire cane searching deal, and then Ayashii happened. How did he not realize that _owning a demon in a book_ would lead to bad things happening? The power hunger got to him, he guessed. At least that entire deal’s done with, though he doesn’t have anything to amplify his magic anymore. Oh well. 

He thanked the stars that these final few years have been pretty peaceful, all things considered. It really allowed him to focus on studying and working on his magic prowess...he really will surpass Lemres and truly become the great Astral Mage, at this rate! 

But, well...he’s gotta finish school first. 

Hopefully life doesn’t throw any curveballs at him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...hey, I'm back with another fic!
> 
> Now, I mentioned that I was working on a different project back on my old Tales from Primp Town fic. I'll say this right now - _this is not that project._ I've just gotten the urge to write some Raffiklug, because honestly? I've seriously fallen in love with this ship lately. I'm still working on said project, don't worry! It's just taken me a really long time to plan some aspects of it out, so it's been a bit on and off. You'll see the results of that one day, though!
> 
> So, in case you haven't picked up on it already, this will be a Raffina/Klug-centric fic. There are other relationships in the background, but those will not be the main focus at all. Of course, they're starting off hating each other - because really, that's canon, isn't it. But over time, developments are gonna happen, and, well...this fic is tagged enemies to lovers for a reason.
> 
> And just in case you didn't notice the tags or what I said here, the characters _are_ aged up...ish. See, I don't think any of the Primp students actually _have_ canon ages, but...this story definitely takes place a few years after all the canon Puyo games. They are in their final school year, after all. At this point, I imagine the characters to be 17 at the youngest, and even then they're approaching 18.
> 
> This is a bit of a short chapter to start, but this is just the prologue. Next chapter, we get how these two managed to even talk to each other without being insulting every other word. It'll be much longer, promise! Update times will be...basically random, but I'll try not to leave you guys hanging on anything for too long.
> 
> I hope you guys are as excited for this as I am. See you next time!


	2. Sharp Turn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A spar gone wrong leads to some unexpected revelations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warnings for mild depictions of violence (bruises, scars, etc.).

It’s the next day, Klug was damn _excited._

It was their first sparring session of the year, how could he not? Despite what his nerdy disposition might imply, he actually enjoys controlled fights like this quite a lot. He’s not a bully that’d go around beating random people up, obviously, but when he had opportunities like this, he enjoyed it. It was a way to prove how powerful he was with magic, after all - a way to prove he was better than everyone else! 

Especially _Raffina._

Man, as weird as it sounds, he always looked forward to fighting Raffina - and proving to that fluffy pink-haired stuck-up just who the superior student in Primp is. It was never just an easy stomping, either - she actually gave him a challenge! As much as he hates to admit it, she _is_ a good fighter, despite her lack of magic ability...but of course, Klug is still the best magic user in this school by a mile! 

No, those times when she actually beats him back don’t count. Why would you ask? 

He briefly turned to Raffina, almost half expecting her to be glaring back with the ferocity of a thousand suns (he knows Raffina always looks forward to these sparring sessions as well), but the moment he did...he realized something was wrong. 

Raffina’s expression was...oddly sullen. Klug’s expression quickly turned into one of surprise - he’d never seen her upset like that unless it was after a loss, but even then, she’d quickly bounce back and get right back to challenging him again and promising that she’d beat him next time. After a bit of him just staring at her with a confused look, Raffina noticed, and shot a glare at Klug. He immediately noted that it was...less enthusiastic than usual. 

Don’t ask how he realized that. He doesn’t know either. It’s probably just overexposure - they glared at each other all the time. 

Well, fine. Whatever it is that’s bothering her, it better not hinder her when they fight. 

He wants the satisfaction of beating her at her best, dammit, not when she’s weakened by some weird external factor! 

* * *

_“Crinis!”_

Klug shot a ball of burning light at Raffina, who swiftly dodged without issue. 

It was _finally_ time for the sparring session, and as expected, the two were going at each other without holding back in the slightest. 

“Heh, is that all you can do, you weakling nerd?” The pinkette took a moment to taunt Klug as she prepared an attack of her own, winding up for a punch before charging at him. _“Decharge!”_

Klug easily dodged as well. “Heh, you know that attack’s way too telegraphed to hit me with it alone!” He shot back. 

“Then try this on for size! _Flamme!”_ Raffina yelled, before throwing several punches into the air, with each punch sending a fireball not at Klug, but _around_ him. He quickly realized that she was trying to corner him for a guaranteed hit, though - it’s not the first time she’s used this trick, but it always made things trickier for him. 

As Klug tried to analyze the best way to get out of the situation, Raffina continued to go on the offensive, winding up. He quickly realized what she was trying to pull, right before she launched several kicks in the air… 

_“CIEL ARC!”_

...along with rays of rainbow light flying towards him. 

With no more time to think, Klug simply reacted by rolling out of the way, ducking under the fire instead of trying to deal with the rainbow light head on. Unfortunately, this allowed the fireball attacks to singe him slightly. To his credit, Klug didn’t do anything but let out a tiny grunt of pain. 

“Oh, la-ti-da...you’ve still never avoided that attack completely, you idiot!” Raffina threw out another insult at the bookworm. “Ohohohohoho!” 

“Gyah...enough of this!” Klug yelled, before charging at Raffina with an attack of his own. _“Fossa!”_

Of course, Raffina predicted and dodged this...but then, Klug quickly followed up with another strike. 

_“Stella Innerans!”_ He yelled out, firing a beam of starlight straight at Raffina’s torso. This time, it was a direct hit. Klug smirked upon seeing this, but immediately, things went wrong. 

Raffina _screamed._

She immediately fell down to the ground, clutching her stomach where she was hit. Her expression expressed an...almost abnormal amount of pain, for where she was hit. 

Klug immediately flinched and stopped attacking, getting closer to where Raffina fell. “H-hey! What the heck is going on!?” 

“S-shut up!” Raffina snapped at Klug, struggling to stand back up. “T-that was nothing...I can still fight!” 

“The hell it isn't!” Klug snapped right back. “I know something’s wrong...you’d _never_ just fall to a single attack like that!” 

“I-I said shut up! I-I can still…” Raffina yelled, giving one last effort to get up, before giving up and falling back to the ground, her arms barely supporting her. “...ugh...fine. Y-you win this time…” 

_“The hell I did!”_ Klug shouted back at Raffina, making her flinch. He then waved down the teacher currently supervising the spars happening. “Hey, teacher! Can we get Raffina to the infirmary? She’s somehow badly hurt!” 

The pinkette’s eyes went wide at that. She had _never_ had to be taken to the infirmary before - just a simple healing spell always did it - who was he to suddenly change that now!? “Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing!? I don’t need to go to the infirmary just because of this!” 

“Yes you do! I know when something’s wrong, and this is one of those times!” Klug argued. 

“Why the hell do you care all of a sudden, you damn nerd!?” Raffina shouted, partially out of anger, and partially out of confusion. She really didn’t know why her rival - and the person she _hates,_ and knows hates her back, would be doing this. 

_“Because I didn’t beat you properly, pinky!”_ Klug yelled back, giving Raffina pause again. “I _know_ you’re way stronger than this. It’s not satisfying to beat you when you’re weakened by...whatever the hell made you fall from one hit!” 

Raffina had to take a moment to blink. _Did...did the nerd just compliment me?_

Once it registered, however, she managed to let out a small yet cocky smirk. “Heh...so you’re admitting I’m stronger than you, then?” 

“I never said that!” Klug snapped. “I just said you’re strong! I’m still stronger than you any day of the week, Miss Stuck Up!” 

“Heh, whatever you say, Mr. Weakling.” Raffina said, her smirk not leaving. 

However, before the conversation-slash-argument could continue, some nurses finally arrived to help Raffina to the infirmary. And since Klug was her sparring partner, he was allowed to follow. 

He doesn’t know why, but he did decide to follow her. 

_Fighting anyone else would just be boring anyways,_ he justified to himself. 

* * *

“Okay...where does it hurt?” The nurse currently watching Raffina asked. 

Right now, they were both in the infirmary - Raffina was sitting on the infirmary bed, while Klug was simply sitting off to the side, blankly looking at her. 

“...ugh...my stomach, I guess.” Raffina grumbled, obviously not wanting to do this. 

“And just to be clear, it’s an external pain on your skin, right?” The nurse inquired further. 

Raffina just quietly nodded. 

“...alright. I’ll need you to lift up your shirt so I can examine it, then.” 

_That_ got a reaction out of Raffina and Klug, who suddenly turned to stare each other in the eye. 

After a brief, tense moment of glaring, it was Raffina who spoke up first. “...don’t fucking look at me while I do this, you pervert.” 

“W-what the hell!?” Klug yelled in indignance. “W-where did you get that idea from!? As if I’d even find you attractive enough to stare at you like that!” 

“...are you saying I’m ugly!?” Raffina suddenly snapped, noticing the jab he sneaked in. 

“You _bet_ I am, pinky!” Klug shot back. “But even if you weren’t, I’m not some weird pervert who’d sneak looks at you while you _get an injury treated!_ Where did you even get that idea from!?” 

Raffina didn’t really have a response to that, only managing to growl out, “...why, you damn stuck-up…” 

“Hey, hey, you two. No fighting here.” The nurse then cut them off. “Now, come on. I can’t get you treated if you don’t lift your shirt up.” 

Raffina just stared at Klug for a bit, who quickly huffed and looked away just as she asked. But even once he did, Raffina hesitated. 

The moment she lifted her shirt up, they’d definitely realize the reason she was taken down in one hit today, and...it was definitely not a pleasant reason at all. She really didn’t want this to be revealed, ever, but… 

Raffina turned to stare at Klug again. Ugh, that nerd...if he just didn’t care, this situation wouldn’t have gotten to this point now. Why did he even care!? He said he wasn’t satisfied with beating her when she’s not at full potential or something... _bullshit._ Shouldn’t he just be happy that he beat her again!? 

But...she knew how stubborn Klug is. If he sets his mind on something, chances are he will _not_ stop until he’s done. And this...she recognized the look in Klug’s eyes - this was definitely another situation that he wouldn’t let go until it was taken care of. Unfortunately in this case, it also involves _her._

_Ugh...whatever, then,_ she thought. _Let’s get this over with now._

And thus, she finally grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it up...and the sight immediately caused the nurse to gasp in shock. 

“Oh, dear...where did you get all these scars from!?” 

Hearing that caused Klug to immediately snap back to looking at Raffina, and what he saw made him feel... _disturbed,_ for lack of a better word. 

Her torso really was covered in faint scars...but not only that, there were several fresh looking rashes over her body, with some of them even bleeding ever so slightly, and several bruises as well. There was even a massive one on her stomach...right where he had hit her, he’s pretty sure. 

It evoked memories in him. Ones he didn’t want to think about. 

Unfortunately, the staring caused Raffina to snap at him, as she got up from the bed and nearly marched towards him. Thankfully, the nurse was there to restrain her. 

“I SAID NOT TO LOOK, YOU DUMBASS!” She shouted. 

“G-GAH! I’M SORRY, OKAY!?” Klug promptly shouted back, yanking his vision away from her. “I-I just...heard what the nurse said and got surprised…” 

“...hmph. Whatever.” Raffina huffed, sitting back down as the nurse went to grab some medicine to treat the rashes on her. 

There was a bit of silence, before the nurse returned to Raffina, supplies in hand. 

“Dear, if I may ask, where did you get these wounds…?” She asked gently. 

“...I don’t wanna talk about it.” Raffina said, her tone flat. 

A pause, as the nurse began treating the wounds. 

“...and where’d you get those scars?” Klug suddenly asked. 

“None of your business, purple.” Raffina’s frustration was obvious in her voice. “And like I said, I don’t wanna talk about it.” 

Another pause. Raffina hissed slightly as the nurse applied some cream to the rashes, but said nothing otherwise. 

“...are you in any danger?” Klug then said. 

That made Raffina turn to look at him, obviously confused. “...what?” 

Klug wasn’t looking back at Raffina as he continued speaking. “I mean what I said. Are you in any danger? From...whatever’s giving you those wounds? From anyone?” 

Raffina was growing more and more frustrated with every word that came out of this nerd’s mouth...why the hell was he so worried over this!? She didn’t understand! This was supposed to be her own problem to deal with, who was he to suddenly care!? Of course, she yelled as much to Klug. 

“Why are you asking this!?” She outright snapped. “I didn’t ask for you to drag me here, and I didn’t ask you to worry over all _this!_ ” She indicated the bruises on her body as she said that. _“Why the hell do you care!?”_

_“Because I don’t want to see anyone else going through what I did!”_

That response immediately changed the mood of the room. Klug suddenly covered his mouth and whipped his head to stare at Raffina again. Raffina, on her part, was equally shocked, staring right back at Klug without the thought of yelling at him again even crossing her mind. The nurse taking care of Raffina didn’t comment, but her expression went sullen at that declaration. 

After another tense moment, Klug suddenly got up. 

“...I’m heading back to class.” He said as he just...stormed out of the room. 

“W-wait!” Raffina tried to call out, but Klug just didn’t listen, and soon, he disappeared out of her sight. 

Her posture suddenly sagged once he did. She was just...confused, at this point. 

“...dear, if you _are_ in any danger, you’re free to tell us, okay?” The nurse said with a gentle voice as she applied some healing magic. “We won’t inform anyone unless it becomes absolutely necessary, either.” 

Raffina took a good while before answering. “...no, thanks. But the offer is appreciated.” 

As her rashes and bruises continued to get treated, Raffina now had a lot on her mind. Anyone else going through what he did…? What did he mean? Did he…? 

No, he can’t possibly know what she’s gone through...how could that nerd have…? 

In the end, she just sighed. 

* * *

Klug was extremely frustrated with himself. 

Stars above, he _really_ didn’t mean to let that slip out of his mouth...but now, look what happened. To give Raffina credit, she’s a smart girl...just because of him telling her that, she probably already figured out what he meant. And she’ll probably start to see him as a weakling for it, for letting... _those people_ push him around for so long...stupid, stupid Klug…! 

But...another part of him couldn’t help but be worried. If he was right...what Raffina was going through...no one deserved that. He wanted to help her somehow, but...truth is, he had no idea where to even start. The only reason he’s free now is because of his aunt - he himself barely did anything. He knew that it _hurt_ like nothing else… 

Even as much as he hated the spoiled pinkette, he couldn’t let her go through that. 

He just didn’t know where to start. 

* * *

Even while the glasses-wearing boy and the pink-haired girl were in separate places, doing separate things, they briefly realized the same thing. 

They both had a lot to think about. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, whoops. I hurt them.
> 
> The nurse is just a generic background character - you could imagine them to be a PPQ character, maybe one of the Crinis Clinic series ones, but she won't be that relevant to the story, so don't think about it too much.
> 
> While I haven't explicitly used the words yet, I think you can already piece together pretty well what happened, especially if you've read the tags to this story. Don't worry, I'll be having them discuss the issue properly down the line, but for now, they're not really even on neutral enough terms to talk about it.
> 
> They'll both have to talk sooner or later, though, otherwise things are gonna become awkward as hell between them...
> 
> ...on a side note, holy crap, nearly 2500 words for this chapter. I don't know if I can keep this up for other chapters, but I'll certainly try my best...my goal is usually just 1k per chapter, but sometimes I go a bit overboard.
> 
> Hopefully this chapter was up to your expectations. See you next time.


	3. A Little Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Late evening thoughts, and a talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning for mentions of abusive parents, and a very brief depiction of one at the beginning.

Klug paced back and forth in his living room. 

It was the evening now, but...what he saw earlier that day still ate at him. He’s pretty sure he’s figured out what’s going on, but...what the hell was he supposed to do? 

His mind looped the same issues, over and over. They both hated each other, and he really had no idea how to help. He had some ideas, but...how the hell will he word them? How the hell is he gonna even get Raffina to listen? He of all people knew how stubborn she was sometimes, as well… 

Ugh...why does he feel the need to care so much? 

He kept pacing back and forth, his thoughts scrambled quite badly. It was getting a bit hard for him to think clearly and find a solution, at this point. 

He paused his pacing and closed his eyes. 

Breathe in, hold, breathe out. Staying calm is better for this. 

Honestly, he was trying his best to think of the best way to go about this...but he doesn’t think he could do this without some outside opinion. 

With a sigh, Klug pulled out his phone and scrolled until he found a familiar contact. 

There’s someone he should call. 

* * *

Raffina stalled on her way back home. 

What Klug told her...it still stuck to her. He’s probably already figured out what’s going on, hasn’t he...dammit. Now he’ll think she’s weak for not fighting back, won’t he? She’s just a good-for-nothing weakling who can’t even stand up against… 

No. Klug didn’t say that to her at all. 

Instead, he...actually showed genuine concern to her. He didn’t look down on her for a moment, and he didn’t pity her in the slightest. 

Why? 

He...hated her, didn’t he? Ever since the day they met, they’ve barely done anything other than bicker, argue and fight...she’s pretty sure she hated him back, either way. She still stood by the fact that he was usually a total jerk to...most people, really, not just her. 

But...none of that was present in that moment. If she’ll be honest, that wasn’t the Klug she knew at all. Sure, he does show concern and tell other students to go back home if they’re sick, and he does begrudgingly help out with homework and assignments of others sometimes, but...that was just his job as class representative, right? He wouldn’t just care about people individually like that. That’s just...not what she knows of that nerd. 

Could she be wrong? She doesn’t even know at this point. Continuing to hate him just...feels like the safer option for now. She doesn’t wanna wrack her brain thinking about this. 

...wait, she’s been dawdling a while. What time is it? A quick check of her phone revealed it was already nearly 6PM. 

Well, shit. At least she’s already arriving at her house...but it’s probably too late to avoid...that. So as she approached the door, she took a deep, slightly shaky breath, and knocked. 

“Raffina...WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG TODAY!? WERE YOU DOING SOMETHING BEHIND MY BACK!?” 

Yep, there was her voice again. 

Just another normal day. 

* * *

The atmosphere the next day was awkward. 

Normally, between Raffina and Klug, there was always an odd aura of hatred there - they’d constantly glare at each other, almost like they were sending all sorts of quiet insults to each other. 

Today, though, none of that was there. 

They still glared at each other, but...the look was a far cry from the spiteful ones they’d shoot at each other. Instead, Klug looked at Raffina, worry clear in his eyes, while Raffina looked back with what seemed to be a look of annoyance on the surface, but beneath it, she was feeling conflicted. 

This kept going for the entire first half of the day, and it’s frustrating the hell out of both of them, but for different reasons. 

For Raffina, it was clear that Klug wanted to continue the conversation from yesterday. Honestly, that pissed her off...she really didn’t want to talk about it. It was... _annoying_ how he was making this such a big deal...but again, Klug’s stubbornness meant there was probably no avoiding this for her. 

A small part of her whispered that talking about it might be better for her, but she’s ignoring that. 

Meanwhile, Klug was just nervous. He knew he had to do this, his heart told him as much, and so did the call...but how would he even start the conversation? Would he just...walk up to her? How would she even react? And even if he managed to get her to talk to him...how would she react _then?_ Would she just brush him off completely? 

Logically, Klug knew he was thinking of worst case scenarios, but those thoughts just kept eating at him...he could only hope for the best. 

* * *

After what felt like an eternity, the final bell before lunch rang. 

As everyone made to leave for their meals, there was an unexpected sight - Klug approaching Raffina, neither of them looking like they wanted each other dead. 

“...Raffina.” Klug said, voice almost completely flat. “Meet me at that sparring gym after lunch. You know, the one no one ever goes to.” 

Raffina immediately knew where he was talking about - there’s one particular gym in the school that’s oddly off the beaten track, and thus, it’s a pretty good, isolated place from the rest of the school. But…she still didn’t wanna have this talk. Not now, not ever. 

“...and what if I say no-” 

_“Please.”_

That simple statement cutting off Raffina shocked her. She had to take a moment to look Klug up and down...was he for real? She’s never heard him say “please” like that...with his pride, she didn’t think that word was even in his vocabulary. 

But...the fact that he was willing to say it...it flipped some sort of switch in her. If this was really that important to the nerd, then… 

“...tch. Fine. That sparring gym after I’m done with lunch, then.” 

“...thank you.” 

With that simple exchange over with, both of them followed the other students and headed out. 

* * *

One quick meal later, and it was off to that gym for Raffina. 

Once she entered, she immediately noticed Klug already there, leaning against the wall. This made her hesitate briefly, but...better to get it over with now, she guessed. And so, she walked over to him. 

Klug took notice of her soon enough, quickly walking towards her as well. 

“...you actually came.” Klug was the first to speak. “I half expected you to chicken out, pinky.” 

“You’d keep hounding me anyways if I didn’t come here. I know you, you damn nerd.” Raffina shot back, mildly annoyed. “Better to get it over with now.” 

“Fine, fine…” Klug said with a sigh. His expression then steeled as he looked Raffina in the eye. “Then...let’s get right to the chase. Are you willing to tell me where you got those scars on you yet?” 

Tch. Really cutting to the chase, huh… 

“...no.” Raffina stated bluntly. “But...you already figured it out anyways, haven’t you?” 

“...it’s your parents, isn’t it?” 

That statement left Raffina looking away without a response. That told Klug all he needed to know. 

“...dammit, pinky...are you okay? How...how long has this been going on?” He then asked, concern clearly growing in his voice. “Do you need any h-” 

“I’m _fine,_ ” Raffina cut him off. “Klug...I’ve been dealing with this for most of my damn life. Have you seen _any_ of that shit hinder me?” She then took a moment to scoff. “I don’t need your pity.” 

“...bullshit.” 

One more simple statement from Klug made Raffina freeze. 

“Pinky... _Raffina._ This kind of stuff...it messes you up.” He continued. “No matter how much you deny it...those scars and bruises are already on you, aren’t they? And besides...I’d know how much it affects you, beyond anything you can actually _see._ ” 

The room remained silent for a few seconds after that. 

“...how would you?” Raffina asked simply. 

“You’re smart as well, aren’t you, pinky?” Klug responded, and Raffina couldn’t help but notice that he complimented her _again._ “You probably already figured it out, too.” 

And she has. Oh, she has. She just...didn’t want to admit it. Didn’t want anyone going through the same thing he did, huh…? 

“...so...you too?” She finally said. 

“Used to.” Klug’s tone went flat again. “My aunt saved me years back, but...I don’t wanna talk about it much right now. This isn’t about me.” 

Another brief pause followed before Raffina found it in her to respond. “...why are you telling me this now?” 

“I’m telling you so that you know you’re not alone.” Klug stated, his voice growing ever so slightly softer. “This kind of thing...it hurts you more than you think it does, no matter how long it goes on for. I...you need to find some help, Raffina. You need to _tell someone._ This...this isn’t okay.” 

Another short pause followed that. 

“...why the hell are you going this far for me?” Raffina decided to ask again. “I...I _hate_ you, nerd. And I know you hate me back. So...why are you doing all this?” 

“I do, pinky.” Klug answered right back. “But, to me...this is way more important than any rivalry or hatred we have going on. And besides…” He took a moment to smirk. “I can’t fight you at your full potential when someone’s hurting you like that everyday, can I?” 

The room fell into silence for a good minute, with both the mage and the martial artist simply...staring at each other. Neither of them could really tell what the other was thinking, especially with what they had just said to each other. 

“...fine.” It was Raffina that finally broke the silence. “I...I’ll _consider_ telling someone. Just...I’ve never done anything like this before, and…” _I’m scared to do it,_ went unsaid by her. She didn’t want him to start looking down on her even more for being afraid of some petty stuff like this. 

Klug, for his part, didn’t react to the pause. “...I get it. That’s enough for me.” 

With that, he turned around and began to walk out, but then paused again halfway through. 

“...and...Raffina.” His tone had lost much of its usual arrogant edge by this point. “Take this seriously, okay…? None of what’s happening to you is normal, and you should treat it like it is and not brush all of it off.” 

Then, he finally left the room, leaving Raffina to stand alone with her thoughts for a while. 

_Don’t brush it all off, huh…?_ She thought quietly to herself. As much as she hates to admit it...he’s right. If there’s one thing Raffina could appreciate about the nerd, it’s that his cutting comments make her take things that she would’ve brushed off as nothing way more seriously. Even if she hated him...she could admit that. 

_Maybe...I did need him to tell me that...not that I’ll ever admit it out loud._

With one last sigh, Raffina left as well. They both still had half a day of school left, after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gasps* I'M NOT DEAD!
> 
> I'm sorry this chapter took so long...I really don't have an excuse other than lack of motivation and general laziness. I'll try to keep you guys waiting less next time, haha...
> 
> Anyways, looks like they both talked pretty quickly, surprisingly, and they both roughly know that they went through the same things. Klug can only hope Raffina gets help now, and Raffina herself has a lot of things to think about.
> 
> That asides...wow, ten kudos for a story with only two chapters. Thank you for the positive response, everyone! I'll try my best to keep delivering!
> 
> EDIT: As of this chapter, this fic has exactly 5000 words. Pretty interesting.


	4. Time Running Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A perceived ultimatum leads to some research.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning for mentions of abuse and a depiction of dissociation.

You’d think things would’ve changed somewhat after that conversation. You’ll be disappointed to find, then, that nothing much changed for quite a while. 

School went on, just as it normally does. Raffina and Klug still shot glares at each other, though...it wasn’t just out of hatred anymore. Neither of them could tell exactly what it was, but there was something a little more than rivalry there. Maybe it was concern for Klug. Maybe it was the odd feeling that someone now knew her secret for Raffina. 

That was about the only thing that changed, though. When they had to spar, neither of them held anything back, still - Klug, especially, even as he knew Raffina’s little secret. It would seem ruthless at first glance, but in reality, despite neither of them directly talking about it, Raffina was grateful for it. If he _had_ gone soft on her, she would’ve taken it as a sign of pity - and she really, really didn’t want to be pitied for what she’s going through. Sure, it may be bad, but she was still strong enough to live without other people having to coddle her, dammit! 

But of course, things couldn’t stay the same forever. 

* * *

Raffina’s cheeks stung. Really badly. 

Something was...wrong with her today. If nothing else, she realized that. She didn’t even realize that she had walked past the doors to her house, and before she knew it, she was getting confronted by her mother for being home late. Again. 

She had to admit, her schedule has been slipping. She didn’t know why, but lately, she’s been stalling coming home. A part of her dreaded her own house, now. 

She could probably figure it out right away with a few more seconds to think, but she couldn’t afford that. Everything was too fuzzy. Like nothing is really real. 

She grabbed something soft with one hand. A blanket, her mind helpfully supplied. Pulling it over herself, she used her other hand to rub the soreness on her face. What had...right. Her mom slapped her. A lot. Should she be surprised? She wasn’t. This always happened. She was used to it. 

It still hurt as much as the first time. Or the first time she can remember, anyways. She got slapped a lot - it’s not exactly a memorable event to her anymore. 

She got up from her bed. She should probably get some cold water to calm down the aching she felt, even if her body mostly felt numb save for her face. But with each step towards the door, she slowed down. Could she even leave her room without getting caught right now? Her mother could be patrolling. Or...something. Has that ever happened before? Maybe. She wouldn’t put it past her. Can’t remember, though. She hoped for a plan by the time she prepared to leave. 

She still didn’t have any by the time her hands grabbed on the doorknob. 

In the end, she decided against leaving and headed back to the bed. Cold water wasn’t worth another lecture and potentially more pain. 

As she collapsed back in the mattress, she groaned quietly in frustration. She was pathetic. She couldn’t even leave just for a little water in her own home. Her...own home. Wait. Now she remembered what had happened that evening, and why she was huddled in her own bed. 

As the events registered, she pulled her blanket straight over her face tightly, blocking herself from her surroundings. Her mother, during the scolding...she’d threatened to kick her out. She was going to kick her out, because she was going to be an adult soon and she needed to be responsible because she’d never be useful and she’d never make anything out of herself and- 

She took a deep, shaky breath as tears pricked at her eyes. She didn’t want to cry. Crying was useless, it made her tired, and...if her mother heard, it’d probably mean another lecture. She can’t afford that right now when she’s already so tired. The realization of what her mother had suddenly threatened out of nowhere felt like it drained her energy completely. 

A small part of her hoped that her mom was lying again. She lied a lot. She threatened her with things that she ended up never doing. This could be another lie. 

But it made the moments where it wasn’t a lie that much worse. 

As her mind grew more and more exhausted, Klug’s words echoed in her mind again. None of this was normal, at all. Even if the words felt hollow in her mind, it was a strange, mild comfort - if this really wasn’t normal as he said, getting kicked out might just allow her a chance at a “normal” life for once. 

She just didn’t know what that would entail, and her head still felt too fuzzy to linger on it. 

Raffina would fall into a restless sleep not long after. 

* * *

School lunch the next day found Raffina at the library. 

She was sitting at a public computer right now. Normally she wouldn’t ever need this, having a computer at her own house, but for what she was about to do, she didn’t want to take any risks of her mom finding out, somehow. She had a tendency to check her computer randomly when Raffina was out, and she just...didn’t feel comfortable with that risk. Even if she cleared her browsing history frequently - learned how to do that the hard way. 

Her thoughts from last night still haven't gone away. So now, she was acting on them, in a way, by doing some searching. 

_“what to do if you get kicked out”_

_“how to live on your own”_

_“things you need to live on your own”_

“Hey, pinky, what are you doing?” Klug suddenly spoke behind Raffina, making her jolt and quickly hide her browser window. 

“N-nothing you’d care about!” Raffina said. An utter lie, she knew - he’d be all over her if he realized what she was looking up. But...she still wasn’t ready to ask for any more help. 

Klug stared at her for a moment, before dropping the topic and moving on. “Raffina, I didn’t see you at the cafeteria at all today. Did...did you eat anything?” 

Raffina stayed silent for a second. “...not hungry.” Another lie - in truth, her mom has decided to punish her further for the fight last night by not giving her lunch money. But she wasn’t about to tell him that. 

“Raffina, no.” Klug admonished. “You know that if you don’t eat, you’ll get hungry in the middle of classes! You need to at least get _something_ in your stomach!” 

“I’ll be _fine,_ nerd.” Raffina insisted. She really didn’t want to do this right now. “Besides, lunch period is almost over anyways. I don’t think I can get anything if I tried.” 

The purple boy groaned in response. “I swear, if this wasn’t a library, now would be the time that I go out and grab you some food, even if it’s just a sandwich…” 

Raffina had to blink at that response. _He’d...do that for me?_

Quickly enough, though, Raffina regained her composure and scoffed. “Look, I wouldn’t be able to stomach it right now, anyways…” Not a lie. She still felt...off, from last night, and if she had to fill herself up now, there’s a non-zero chance she’d end up throwing up.  
  
That was the wrong answer, though. This _immediately_ alerted Klug that something was up - Raffina has never had to skip a meal like that before. 

“...Raffina...you sure you’re okay? Did something happen?” He asked, noticeably quieting his voice.  


She went quiet again. She realized what she said a little too late - there was no avoiding the question now. “...I’m still not ready to ask for more help.” She finally stated, also quietly and ensuring no one else can hear. 

“...I get it.” Klug simply nodded in understanding at that. “But...if you’re in any big danger, _tell me._ Just...if nobody else, I already know your secret.” 

“...tch. You’re still gonna keep going with that, huh…?” Though her voice sounded biting, she was secretly appreciative of the gesture. Because yes, she was in danger. Maybe. She was at least _preparing_ for the possibility of danger…taking it seriously, as Klug told her to. 

“As class representative, I can’t just stand by and watch if my classmates really are in danger, Raffina.” Klug’s voice remained quiet, but it now had a tint of solemnity to it. “And...as a person who knows what you’re going through, I just...don’t want you to go through it alone…” His voice got even quieter at the last part, and his eyes closed as he said it. 

“...I...I can’t believe I’m saying this to you of all people, but...thanks.” Raffina finally relented. 

In any other situation, Klug would’ve taken great satisfaction to his hated rival saying thanks to him. This, however, was too serious for him to even consider joking about it. 

“You’re lucky we don’t have sparring classes today. I’m not fighting you with you on an empty stomach.” Klug said with a sigh. “Just tell me after school if you’re hungry. I really will get you some food if you need it. I have spare cash.” And with that, he finally left Raffina to her own devices once more. 

The pinkette sighed once he left. She took some more time to research the topics she’s been looking up, but before she knew it, the bell rang, and it was time for classes once more. 

She took a moment to clear the browsing history here as well. 

No one else needed to know her struggle. Not yet. 

Raffina did end up taking Klug’s offer for food later. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...it's been a while since the last chapter.
> 
> I really have to apologize for that - I hit a massive writer's block after publishing the last chapter, and after that, a bunch of things happened that I won't go in detail on, and my mental health got wrecked. Working on this fic quickly became the first thing to go. I'm finally recovering a bit, though, so I'm hoping I can get things out more consistently this time, though given that I've already hit another minor writer's block, that might not happen. We'll see.
> 
> Either way, onto this chapter itself...this was hard to write. Initially I had planned to outright depict the abuse, but no matter how I did it, it always ended up feeling too extreme, to a cartoonish degree - like Raffina's mother was some embodiment of absolute evil rather than a person at all. It's not that abuse that bad never happens in real life, it's just...not the tone I'm going for. I talked it over with some friends, and he ended up writing me a base I could work off of by having Raffina go through a bout of dissociation as she processed the events of the day. So, this chapter technically has a co-author - thank you to LegendAtlas on this very site for giving me this idea and helping me work out how to write dissociation in as realistic of a manner as I can manage!
> 
> Other than that, though, I'm worried about the pacing of this story so far. I'm just jumping from big events to big events so far, and it just feels like I'm pushing the next major plot point all too quickly. At the same time, though, I can't think of anything to do to fill the time without it just coming off as filler, so in the end, this is what I'm deciding to go for.
> 
> I'd actually love to hear you guys' opinions here. Are the scenes in this story believable so far? Is the pacing going too fast, too slow, or is it fine? Leave a comment if you have anything to say - criticism helps me improve!


End file.
